Skin
by Pinzzz
Summary: Kanaya Maryam grew up in a childhood of pain and despair, experiencing the sudden death of her sister Porrim; the only person she ever had a deep connection with. One day, a certain Rose Lalonde suddenly appears in her life and awakens a feeling she never thought would surface again.
1. Chapter 1: Things Are Changing

It was a warm, summer afternoon as the bight sun shone happily down on the suburban houses situated below it's rays. Small rain drops were dripping from the moist flower petals after a short-lasting rain shower, that just retreated from the area leaving the earth refreshed and blooming green. Somewhere among the numerous family houses were children, laughing and running about in a large backyard decorated with different varieties of flowers and trees. Balloons were lazily brushing against each other, tied up to the wooden porch with rainbow colored bubbles surrounding the air. Immersed in the thick trees, the children danced barefooted and waved their arms excitedly with dazed looks on their full faces. A small girl was standing in front of a cardboard figure decorated in colorful wrapping paper in the shape of a carnival animal. Her dark, short hair swayed against the breeze, caressing her tanned skin and pink cheeks flushed from the constant swinging of the baseball bat in her hands. Eyes covered with a blindfold and lips parted in concentration, she raised the red bat and with a powerful and final swing sent the object in front her falling to the ground, bursting out confetti and vibrant shades of sweet candy. She slowly removed the fabric that shielded her eyes and smiled widely at her companions, who were collecting the remains from the grass. A tall woman stood beside the child, observing the young people in front of her. She had long, wavy black hair and breathtaking jade green eyes, that contrasted with her dark skin. She looked down at the little girl and brushed her thin fingers against her hair, reveling two rows of perfectly white teeth, giving a bright shine to the piercing in her lower lip.

- Aren't you going to join them?

The child looked up at the woman with a sympathetic smile, folding her hands together in a respectful manner. For such a young creature she had a sophisticated and wise aura surrounding her, which was surly noticeable the moment a person looked her. Her face wasn't as plump as the other children, but slightly thinner, revealing beautiful, delicate cheekbones that with age would craft into a masterpiece.

- I want to share with them. - she answered proudly, receiving a gentle pat on her head in return.

The woman chuckled and bent down to kiss the girl on her forehead.

- You're such a good girl, Kanaya. Promise me you'll always stay this way. - she said rubbing her thumbs on the girl's cheeks.

The child placed her small hands on the woman's and grinned widely.

- I promise, Porrim.

The two females were suddenly assaulted with wrappers of confetti thrown at them by the children, who were giggling with joy at their surprised reactions. Kanaya grabbed a handful of paper and tossed it at the woman, changing her demeanor from an old woman to a carefree child. She felt happy surrounded by her friends and family. She felt safe. She felt loved.

A sudden change disrupted the little girl's mind showing her a world, which she never wished to see at such a young age. Pain, despair, hurt and confusion. She didn't understand why her mother couldn't look at her without tears running down her white cheeks. Nobody wanted to tell her where her sister has gone and why she's never coming back. Everything just shifted to gray and black. Whatever was left of her colorful childhood was gone and in it's place were memories she wished never occurred. All that was warm turned cold. All that she loved turned to ash and disappeared in the wind. The only remaining embrace of love that meant the most to her has vanished, leaving her alone in the crowd of sad eyes that lacked an ounce of compassion. She had nowhere to hide, nowhere to feel safe anymore. She was forced to grow up and stand her ground in the storm. Only it never subsided, it only picked up speed turning into a whirlwind of an everlasting battle with herself.

* * *

- Kanaya! - said a voice, so faraway in her mind. - Kanaya!

It kept repeating itself. Over and over. It wouldn't leave her alone. No matter how far she ran it caught up with her just as fast. A par of rough hands clutched onto her shoulders and forcefully pulled her out of the dark abyss. Her eyes shot open, a shade of jade green, blinking feverishly and gaining back her consciousness. A boy with messy dark hair and tired eyes stared at her angrily, but with fear and concern. They were the only eyes that made her feel safe and loved.

- Kanaya answer me! Don't do this again!

She slowly exhaled the breath she was holding in and smiled slightly to reassure her friend she was ok.

- I'm fine now, Karkat.

The boy sighed, releasing the stress he was grasping on to and relieved the tight hold he had on the woman's arms. He took his friend by the hand and slowly helped her up on her feet, making sure she had the strength to stand.

- Are you sure? You how much I fucking hate it when this happens to you, so excuse me if I want to make sure, just in case you might fall on your face again.

- Trust me, you would be the first to know.

Another woman came running up the stairs to the bedroom, gasping and holding a mobile phone pressed to her chest.

- Kanaya, darling are you ok? Did you faint again? Do I have to call the hospital?

The boy shot an angry glare towards the woman, protectively holding onto his companion.

- Jesus, mom. She's not dying.

- I just need to make sure, son. We don't want this happening so often. Maybe she needs to see the doctor again.

The boy sighed in annoyance, glancing at Kanaya for an answer of reassurance, so his mother wouldn't be so pushy. Kanaya smiled at the woman, holding her friend close with the strength that remained in her arms.

- I'm ok, Mrs. Vantas. If this is bound to happen again, I know Karkat will take care of me, rest assured.

The woman not willing to continue the argument with her son, smiled back at them and folded her arms, releasing air from her lungs.

- Alright, but stay in touch and keep me posted. Karkat is reliable … but he's still Karkat.

- What the hell is that supposed to mean? - he asked, obviously offended.

His mother simply smiled and quickly absconded from the room, leaving the two young adults alone.

- Karkat, can you speak with your mother politely? She's only trying to help. - asked Kanaya, slipping out of her friends embrace and dipping a hand into a large gym bag beside the bed.

- I'm aware of that, but she can do it in a less annoying way. Not to mention she implied I'm not reliable enough. I've been your fucking babysitter since we were kids and last time I checked you're still alive and breathing, so I guess I'm doing one hell of a good job then.

Karkat would always become intensively frustrated when someone doubted him, especially regarding his abilities to care for his best friend. Ever since she lost the one person that gave her life meaning, he suddenly showed up on her door step as if sent by an angel. The moment he offered her a helping hand that day in first grade, when she couldn't conjure the energy to smile, he became a light, a beacon; her guardian angel in the flesh, that pulled her out of the dark world she couldn't retreat from. For a person that had nobody to count on, she treasured him deeply with all her heart and thanked God everyday for having someone like him by her side. Even though on the outside Karkat looked vicious and unhappy, compared to everyone else he had the biggest heart of them all.

Kanaya smiled tossing her clothes on the bed and began unbuttoning her pajama shirt.

- Yes, you are doing well. But keep in mind your mother still worries about you and feels the need to support you. It's inevitable to escape her motherly instincts.

Karkat growled proceeding to grab his own clothes from the closet and two, fresh towels.

- Ok fine. I get that. There's no need to drag this conversation any further. Do you need any help? - he asked gesturing the bathroom.

Kanaya, completely stripped down to her black lingerie, chuckled taking a towel from Karkat's hand.

- I'm a grown woman, Karkat. I can bath myself. Besides, we're too old for that. It was cute when we were children, but now it's too inappropriate.

Karkat rolled eyes, but knew Kanaya was right. He got so accustomed to taking care of Kanaya thoroughly, that he almost didn't realize that they were, of course almost adults and a simple person who didn't know about their relationship would jump to irrational conclusions, if he were to climb into the same shower with her. But in reality, he was just taking care of her.

He went over to his bed and proceeded to unfold and evaluate his attire, just to occupy himself.

- Ok, I get it, now go. I don't want to be late for class, so don't take too long.

Kanaya smiled one last time at Karkat, even though he wasn't looking at her, but knew he received the gesture. She walked into the blue themed bathroom and closed the door behind her, not bothering to lock it, since it was an action Karkat deeply disliked her doing. She removed the remaining fabric from her skin, unconsciously turning to gaze over herself in the mirror. She had numerous scars on her body, as a painful reminder of the battles she had to face against the demons of her past. If it wasn't for Karkat, who stopped her from certain death, she wouldn't be standing there, breathing and looking herself in the eyes. Feeling the heat begin to accumulate behind her green orbs, she turned her head sharply from the glass and walked into the shower. She flipped the switch, assaulting her body with cold water, making her shiver from the sudden surprise. Every time she'd feel a break down begin to surface, she'd simply pour ice, cold water onto or into her system, which abruptly stopped the thoughts from piling into her brain.

Slowly dragging her hands down her face, Kanaya sighed struggling to relax her mind, but it didn't seemed to work. Biting down on her lip and grasping onto her arms she took deep breaths, knowing she was falling apart. Sometimes the pain was too hard to push away and all she could do was release the tension. And doing it when nobody was around were the only chances she could. Rocking back and forth, her breathing becoming raspy, she struggled to keep in the loud sobs. Hot tears were streaming down her cheeks and compared to the cold water, it felt like daggers were slicing her skin. She was incapable of stopping it now. Once she started, it had to be let out until the bubble was empty.

After the shower, she stepped onto the carpet drying her face and making sure she looked fine. Her eyes were only slightly swollen, but that could easily be covered with makeup. Once the water was removed from her skin and lingerie was once again hugging onto her curvy body, she proceeded to work on the mask to hide her pain away for others not to see.

- Took you long enough. - snapped Karkat, watching Kanaya walk out the door, a cloud of steam escaping the room behind her.

- I am a woman after all. - she said with a grin and started getting dressed. - We require more attention.

- Attention my ass. - growled Karkat and disappeared into the fog, for his turn.

Slowly buttoning her black shirt, covered in ruffles on the chest, she rang her thumb over the sleeves admiring the clothing. Kanaya always had an eye for art and found sewing to be a pleasant hobby, since she had the ideal amount of patience for the job. Whenever she felt frustrated, her hands would wander towards her dear, beloved sewing machine, that peacefully was situated on the window seal with the fabric she uses just below in a vintage chest, along with a manikin she attained with the machine as a birthday gift from Karkat and his family. They treated her like a daughter and were proud of her talents, so she'd often make or fix clothes for them whenever they asked. Grabbing onto a pair of black, skinny jeans, which she slipped on with ease; thankfully, she was gifted with a thin, hourglass body type that ran in the Maryam family. While stepping into her favorite platform boots, Karkat walked out of the shower already fully dressed, rubbing his red towel to dry off his hair.

Karkat didn't really care about how he dressed as long as he was clean, which Kanaya was partially thankful for, but hoped he could dress more properly anyway, even though she offered to make him some decent clothing for his wardrobe. Yet his reply was always the same: ,,Don't bother wasting your fabric on me." But whenever she had an occasion, she'd always made something special for him. Wearing a red sweater over a band t-shirt, he put on his matching sneakers and stood up with his arms stretched out, noticing Kanaya was eying him.

- Problem? I'm dressed the way you asked.

Kanaya smiled and got up from the bed to walk over to him and pull him into an embrace. Karkat stiffened at first, caught by surprise by Kanaya's sudden affection, but relaxed his shoulders and gave her a pat on the back.

- Let's go have breakfast.

They went down the stairs, a backpack and messenger bag in hand into the kitchen where Mrs. Vantas was cheerfully humming, flipping pancakes skillfully in the frying pan.

Kanaya smiled, hearing the warm tone in her voice. Karkat's mother is a very graceful and peaceful individual in a poetic and artistic way. She had the ideal voice of a storyteller; smooth like honey and absolutely captivating. It always amused Kanaya at how much Karkat was different from his mother. Psychically, they looked almost identical; same shade of hair and chocolate brown eyes, facial structure and even height. Karkat wasn't very tall for a young male standing merely 5ft4, where Kanaya almost reached 5ft6. Size was never an uncomfortable matter for the boy, as he never felt ashamed to stand next to the tall female. It was a different story however, when he would be compared to other men his age.

As she glanced back at the dining room, where Karkat already situated himself by the table, equipped with the necessary items for their meal, she sat in the chair across from him and Mrs. Vantas came over with a steaming pile of fresh pancakes she always made with her secret recipe whenever Kanaya started feeling too much anxiety. Even though she tried not to show any of those emotions and succeeded, Mrs. Vantas would always see right trough her mask, but in a subtle way she would give Kanaya signs that she's there to help.

- Hey, when's dad coming home? - Karkat asked, eager to begin his meal.

His mother turned towards him after exchanging comforting glances with Kanaya and smiled, wiping her hands on her floral apron Kanaya made as a Christmas gift. She always cooked in it, which made Kanaya always smile with pride. She looked up at the ceiling, digging into her memory then looked back at him with a surprised expression.

- Tonight actually. In that case, I'll make something special for dinner.

Giving Kanaya one last affectionate squeeze on her shoulder, she hurried back into the kitchen. Karkat for a second kept staring, then averted his gaze back to his breakfast.

- It's been a while since he was home. - he said quietly.

Kanaya nodded, silently agreeing with him. Karkat's father was a very busy man, traveling around the world as a geologist, so for the majority of the year he's abroad and only returned home during holidays and birthdays. Kanaya only had the pleasure to meet him a few times, but regardless Mr. Vantas just as quickly accepted her into the family as his wife. From what she remembered, personality-wise Karkat was very similar to his father. They both are passionate towards the people they love and are easily mistaken to be unapproachable. Where Karkat is more on the temperamental side, so is his father, but only released his fire when it was necessary.

After finishing their breakfast, Mrs. Vantas bid them farewell by the door and hurried back inside. Karkat in his usual long strides, with a hand in his pocket while the other fiddled with the car keys in a circular motion, walked over to the black and red Ford Mustang that stood silently in the driveway. He climbed in, caressing the leather steering wheel with a wide smile on his face. He wasn't really a car fanatic, but was specifically proud of the fact that he bought it by himself with his own expenses. Kanaya chuckled, amused by his facial expression.

- You should start the car now or we'll be late. - she suggested.

Karkat grunted, placing the key into the slot and reanimating the car to life, as it growled aggressively with the same tone as it's owner.

- Can't a guy admire his wheels? Shit.

- You know I don't mind. But the teacher might, if we're late.

- Gotcha. - he replied rolling his eyes, which was a habit of his and they finally drove onto the rode.

Their school wasn't to far, yet a vehicle was required if they wanted to be on time. It was quite a large building, in which Kanaya got lost numerous times and had to make a map in order to stay in track of her schedule. But with time, she became accustomed to every hallway and classroom, though it was difficult during the first days after her transfer.

Kanaya was never a popular type and always stayed away from larger crowds preferring to spend her time alone on her studies and not waste time on socializing. But because of the fact she has a peculiar taste in clothing, staying in the shadows was never an easy task. That didn't mean she greeted people with a grimace of disgust; if she engaged in a conversation, she spoke politely and tried to keep a pleasant demeanor, but people quickly lost interest in her, but never bothered her. Karkat would visit her from time to time and they shared a few classes together, so she never felt alone in the massive building.

Once the car was positioned in the parking lot they entered the school and went their separate ways. Class was about to start in mere minutes. She quickly got to her locker, thankful for having English first, considering it was on the first floor and entered the room, sitting down in the back of the class. She disliked being the center of attention and felt more comfortable out of the spotlight. Already comfortably seated, the teacher walked into the room and the students turned their attention towards him. He was a cheerful looking fellow, tall and slim with suspenders and a bow tie to be his everyday fashion choice. If Kanaya were to choose her favorite teacher, it would be Professor Scratch. He stood up from his desk, wide smile playing on his lips and if Kanaya's hunch was correct, in meant he had a surprise for them.

- Good morning class. - he began. - Before we begin our session I want to introduce a very, special person who will be attending English with us this year.

Kanaya wasn't paying much attention, indulged in the novel before her, which was a mistake. Feeling a strong gaze upon her she looked up to see Professor Scratch staring straight at her. He didn't seem angry and never had any negative feelings towards Kanaya, since she was his favorite student. He had more of a mischievous glint in his eyes, yet it wasn't very visible. A second later, she noticed another person standing next to him. A girl with short, light blonde hair and blazing, purple eyes was looking right at her as well. For some reason she felt slightly flustered by the girl's heavy eye contact and with difficulty tried to avoid staring.

- This is Rose Lalonde. - he said proudly, adding an accent to her last name and boy, did those words come together beautifully, sending pleasant vibrations to Kanaya's ears. - You will be seated with Kanaya Maryam.

Consumed in the moment, Kanaya almost didn't hear her name being mentioned and when she came to, her eyes slightly widened in panic. Rose gradually walked over to the back, each step made gracefully as if she were moving through water and sat in the desk next next to Kanaya. The corners of her mouth curled upwards in a subtle smile towards Kanaya, who was quietly watching her in the corner of her eye, and mouthed a greeting making Kanaya smile in return, then quickly drop her gaze back into her book. She was feeling unnaturally nervous in Rose's presence and she couldn't think straight as her thoughts were tossed about in disarray. There was something about her and she couldn't put a finger on it. The aura emanating from her was mysterious and puzzling.


	2. Chapter 2: Witness

For the next 45 minutes of English, her paranoia kept her constantly on her feet, as from time to time she would glance at Rose to see if she was watching her. For the rest of the hour, the pale blonde kept her concentration fixated on the textbook, not once looking to the side, with a calm smile on her face the whole time. Kanaya wasn't sure if she actually wanted Rose's attention or was relieved she didn't have to keep eye contact. The monstrous confusion rattled her brain and for the rest of the class she was unable to even listen thoughtlessly at the text Professor Scratch was reading aloud. Trying to occupy herself and at the same time not to get caught, when Mr. Scratch's face disappeared behind the hard covered book, her eyes would venture towards her beloved novel, that rested on the corner of her desk. She almost didn't hear the bell ring and if it wasn't for the students in front of her, who excitedly dashed out the door, she would have sat there all day. Closing her book, Kanaya looked towards her right to see Rose was already gone and released the air in her lungs. Once everyone retreated from the classroom, she walked out the door to be greeted by Karkat, who was holding out a hand sized card covered in plastic. Kanaya gasped and took it from his hands in shock.

- You forgot your library card. - he said, shoving his hands in his pocket.

She smiled at him gratefully, as If she was given a million dollars and was told she could buy whatever she wanted. The library was her safe haven, her holy grail to which she would go to everyday after school to enjoy some alone time surrounded by old books and the intense smell of wood and paper.

- My goodness, I didn't even realize.

- Don't mention it. - said the boy proudly and turned around to start walking towards the next class. - Feferi told me there's a new kid in your English class.

Kanaya felt a sudden heat creep up on her cheeks and clutched onto her books in a vice grip.

- Yes, there is. - she said slowly.

- A Rose Lalonde?

She nodded in response.

- Is she hot?

Kanaya's face shot up in horror looking at Karkat, hoping he didn't get the wrong idea of what she thought about the blonde. To her surprise, he burst out laughing, which made Kanaya twitch in confusion and humiliation.

- Don't get your panties in a bundle, I was just screwing with you. - he said, and at the same time Kanaya relaxed the tension in her shoulders. - Although she kinda sounds familiar, don't you think?

Wanting to quickly drop the subject, she turned her head to look straight ahead and tried to look as nonchalant as possible.

- Not one bit.

Noticing Kanaya's indifference, Karkat shrugged his shoulders and flipped open his red folder, skimming through the numerous amounts of paper.

- God I fucking hate chemistry. That assignment was the most mind raping, bullshit I've ever had to do in my life.

Kanaya smiled, agreeing with him, since mathematical and scientific subjects weren't really her forte. She was always attracted towards literature and poetry, where knowledge was determined based on an individual's open mind and level of creativity. She was never really capable of thinking in a closed box, solving mathematical solutions based on certain equations and designs. Numbers were basically too complex for an artistic mind like hers.

* * *

Chemistry went by painfully slow and once it was over Kanaya and Karkat were the first to run out of the classroom, just to get as far away from the tubes and chemicals as possible. Going their separate ways once again, Karkat to math class and Kanaya for a relaxing hour of history, she walked into the large room decorated with numerous paintings of kings and war generals, along with a few items from world war II, that the school by some lucky chance attained. Sitting down in the back, another boy followed behind, tossing his blue backpack on the ground in frustration and slumping down in his seat. Looking up from reading the history textbook, she looked to see who the unhappy camper was. The boy was frowning dramatically, black, rimmed glasses down on the tip of his nose. Kanaya didn't move to comfort the person, knowing who he was and that he always acted that way.

- Not a good day, Eridan? - she asked putting down her book, preparing for a long monolog from the male.

- It's never a good day for me, Kan. - he whined, covering his head with his thin hands, decorated with numerous silver rings, that he always wore. - I think I'm losing my inspiration. I feel like it's leaking out of me! It's been a damn week, I didn't write one song and my concert is a few days away! To top it off, I only wrote four songs and I need six in order for me to get the gig! I swear, I'm going to die tomorrow, if I don't think of something.

Kanaya sighed, knowing where the conversation was heading and decided to say it first to spare herself the self loathing from the teenager, who obviously was seeking her help specifically. It was in Kanaya's nature to help those in need, even if that someone is an annoying, self absorbed, spoiled brat.

- You want me to help you? - she asked, not even finishing her sentence for Eridan's eyes to light up like Christmas lights and smiled widely, grabbing onto her hands in a thankful gesture.

- You would do that? For me? - he said, nearly squealing with joy.

- Yes I will. Now would you kindly let go of me?

Eridan quickly released his grip, yet didn't back away just yet, still gazing at her as if he was possessed. But his demeanor rapidly shifted, as he straightened his posture, tossing a leg over the other, to signalize he was going down to business.

- I'm really thankful, Kan. You are, like, the only person I know who can write decent poetry on my level of intelligence. So what I'm aiming for are grotesque love stories amongst young adults like you and I, and how they are capable of tearing apart even the strongest human soul.

Kanaya blinked a few times, listening to Eridan's words and stared at him, as if he were deranged. Eridan was always a very emotional and fragile person and every action he made or relationship he was involved in, made a big impact on his mental state, so even the slightest change in his lifestyle can turn him from happy and cheerful, to rocking back and forth in a dark corner wondering if his life really has any meaning. Yet thanks to that, he's a brilliant artist and through his depression he's capable of making something downright disgusting to breathtakingly beautiful. Actually, Eridan was the only person Kanaya could relate with, both sharing a tragic childhood and love for art and poetry. But sometimes, she wished he could turn down his inner drama queen, which always came in the way of his friendships, not to mention relationships.

- I don't mean to be intrusive, but did you get into another fight with Feferi?

As if somebody punched him in the gut, Eridan's eye's shined with a sudden pain emanating from them, making it obvious it was true. Kanaya sighed, shaking her head in an apologetic manner.

Feferi was Eridan's first crush and lucky for him, they were in a long and stable relationship, until Feferi was no longer able to handle Eridan's mood swings, not to mention her own, and decided it was best if they took one step off the ladder and just stayed friends. In the beginning, barley, Eridan was able to cooperate with her plead, but with time, their arguments became more and more frequent. Just like their relationship, their friendship was slowly beginning to tear apart. It was a sad sight to look at, since Eridan was almost always depressed and forcefully kept trying to build back what they had, making Feferi back away from him even more.

Eridan groaned, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms with a frown on his face.

- This time it wasn't my fault! Now she has a problem with my facial expressions and even the smallest movement puts her off. I mean, It's not like I can ,,turn off" my face, it's who I am! And it hurts me to hear her say such things. That even how I look makes her unhappy.

Suddenly, there was a loud thump in the front of the class, followed by a sigh of annoyance coming from the mouth of the history teacher standing by the office chair.

- Ampora, word of advice? Maybe you should stop dating girls, cause you act like one. - he said, staring hard at the horrified teenager, who with every word was sliding lower and lower in his seat, wanting to run away from all the stares of the rest of the students.

Kanaya frowned at the situation put in front of her and looked back at the teacher, who with indifference sat in his chair and started sorting out his paperwork.

- Mr. Spades, wasn't that a little too harsh? - she asked, with slight venom in the tone of her voice.

The black haired man didn't even bother to look up at her, still looking through the white sheets of paper and shifting the toothpick in his mouth from one side to the other.

- The truth hurts, sweetheart. - he replied dryly. - Either you take it like a man, or don't.

Knowing the conversation wouldn't go no further, considering Professor Spades was an obdurate individual with a dry sense of humor, she sat back in her seat and looked towards Eridan giving him a comforting smile, making sure that he knows she's there and has his back. Acknowledging her consolation, he smiled back very slightly, but turned to look into his notebook. Kanaya was surprised he didn't show any emotion, but was positive that deep down he was stabbed right in the heart. Eridan knew he acted like a woman sometimes (ok, most of the time), but was too proud to admit it or change that about himself.

So, for the rest of history class, she was exchanging words of comfort on post-it notes with the gloomy teenager, agreeing on coming to his concert along the way and trying to help him apologize to Feferi and finally put their friendship to a halt, since nothing good was coming out of it. With wide grins and waves of goodbye, they both departed from the classroom after the bell and Kanaya slowly started walking up to the second floor for her next class.

* * *

The next hours went by thankfully quickly, since she had class with students she didn't integrate with, so she didn't have to engage in any unnecessary conversations. Although, she had a good laugh with Vriska Serket and Terezi Pyrope, when during Psychics class they were doing an experiment with electricity and Gamzee's thick, curly locks, increased their volume on account of a sudden surge of too much energy, yet the amount wasn't thankfully harmless, only leaving him with a slightly larger hairdo than usual, which didn't seem to bother him at all. On the contrary, he was ,,digging the motherfucking fro" and wore it with a wide, sleepy grin and gestured the universal sign of metal towards anyone who acknowledged it.

After the last bell beginning the hour of lunch, she quickly entered the large cafeteria and stood in line, knowing once everyone came in, the pushing, shoving and race for the last slice of pie could commence. Picking up a Caesar salad and bottle of mineral water, she walked over to the table where Karkat was already snacking on his sandwich with feet propped on the table, as he leaned his back on the wall for support.

- Karkat Vantas! No feet on the table! - scolded Kanaya, holding her tray with one had and managed to lean the other on her hip for a dramatic effect.

Karkat scoffed, sipping on a juice carton.

- Who are you? My mother?

But despite his sassy reply, Karkat slid his legs from the table onto the floor where they belonged, since he respected Kanaya way too much to go against her word. As she sat down, unfolded her green napkin and placed it on her lap, Karkat chuckled making her look at him questionably.

- What now?

- Nothing. It just sometimes I wonder where you get your goodie, two shoe manners from.

Kanaya smiled in reply, opening the plastic box.

- Baby, I was born this way.

- Did you just quote Lady Gaga?

- Maybe.

In one moment of silence they both busted out in uncontrollable laughter.

- You have any idea how lame you sound when you try to make a joke? - laughed Karkat, wiping a tear from his cheek and continued to eat his meal.

Mixing the sauce in her salad, Kanaya shrugged slumping her shoulders, realizing how bad that joke was and had to agree that Karkat was right. She knew her way around Czeslaw Milosz's ,,Song on the End of the World", but couldn't even tell a decent knock knock joke, without turning it into a philosophical riddle. Sometimes, she wished for that one ounce of funny, then maybe people would accept her more openly.

- I'm sorry, at least I try.

- Ok, but putting that matter aside, I swear that new girl is the most creepiest human being I have ever seen in my miserable life.

With the sudden mention of Rose Lalonde (why did she remember her name?) Kanaya's ears suddenly perked up, loosing her appetite at the same time. Why did that name make her so uneasy?

- What makes you say that?

- You have literature with her, you tell me.

Tossing around a baby tomato in her salad, she wasn't even sure why Rose made her feel uncomfortable. There's nothing wrong with the way she dresses, where on the contrary, her sense of style seemed to be similar to Kanaya's, but there was something behind those lavender eyes that wanted her to make a run for it and at the same time stare at them all day long. The fact that Karkat felt the same way made everything else even more confusing.

- I don't understand what you're getting at Karkat. She seems completely fine from my perspective.

- Did you talk with her? - he asked, making her have second thoughts, because actually no, besides the awkward greeting they didn't say a word to each other.

Kanaya shook her head, making Karkat wave an arm as if that was the answer he was looking for.

- Then call me crazy, when I say she talks EXACTLY like you!

Feeling mentally shoved off the bench, she frowned and ceased cutting the lettuce, turning her head slightly to the side with a confused expression. Karkat's eyes widened as he straightened up, interpreting that she might have understood it in a negative form.

- Wait, don't take that the wrong way, I mean, with the way you talk, you can make shitting backwards make sense.

Still not quite understanding what Karkat was referencing, Kanaya sighed dropping her fork, starting to get slightly impatient, but not enough to make her begin flipping tables.

- You have to be more precise, Karkat. What is it exactly that makes us so similar?

Karkat leaned on the table, his demeanor turning serious and with concentrated eyes he looked hard at Kanaya.

- Both of you have the same smart ass composure.

With that statement, Kanaya frowned, officially giving up the conversation and dropped her gaze to continue eating her salad. Karkat realizing he didn't use his vocabulary correctly, he dramatically waved his hands, slapping a palm on his forehead.

- Sorry, that didn't sound the way I thought it would. It's just both of you have that same politeness and usage of big, complicated words.

- Karkat, calm down, there's no need to get so frustrated. I understand. At least she sounds intelligent. - she smiled, loosening up the tense atmosphere.

Karkat finally relaxed and leaned back on the wall taking a big bite of his apple.

- Well, she isn't a first degree moron like the rest of these people here. You two might actually get along or end up having an argument on which poet has the sexiest vocabulary.

- Very amusing. - teased Kanaya, finishing her lunch just in time with the bell. - So I'm going to finish lectures soon, so I will see you at home after my session at the library, alright?

Karkat never liked it when Kanaya was alone, always thinking of the worst case scenario to happen the moment he turned his back on her, but she always insisted that everything would be fine and if anything happened she could easily contact him through the phone. They exchanged quick goodbyes and were once again off to class.

* * *

Kanaya spent the rest of her day either forced to cut open a frog in biology, which almost ended tragically, since her partner Tavros Nitram had a weak stomach and in the middle of a session had to run out of the classroom leaving her to deal with cleaning up the intestines from the floor. Kanaya wasn't a huge fan of frogs, but the idea of killing another animal for the sake of science made her stomach cringe. Thankfully, after the lesson was over and school was finally done for the day, she packed up her belongings, made a quick stop at her locker and went outside to the bus stop to catch a ride to the town's library.

It wasn't a very known and popular place to begin with. She happened to stumble upon it during a late night of heavy drinking at a jazz club she'd go to often and instantly was drawn to the old building ever since. In the beginning, when Kanaya was quite hesitant to making human contact, she finally broke the ice and walked inside one afternoon after school. The minute she step foot into the large hallway and found herself surrounded by books and their intense smell, she feel in love almost instantly. Not to mention she discovered that the owner and librarian was a very kind and peaceful individual; an older woman named Jane, who smelled of chocolate brownies and the very books that resided on the wooden shelves.

Slowly opening the old, wooden door, she walked inside, her nose instantly assaulted with a strong smell of vanilla and mint, which was a curious combination in her opinion. All the way at the end of the room where the brown, mahogany desk was placed behind the large bookshelves, Mrs. Jane was humming quietly, nibbling on a fresh batch of cookies, reading a heavy looking hard-covered book, that looked ancient. Her gray hair was carefully tied in a bob on the very top of her head to avoid getting any loose strands in the pages of her books. When it came to her precious novels, she cared for them as if they were valuable pieces of treasure. Hearing the bell let out a loud, attentive jingle, she looked up and smiled, red glasses on the very tip of her nose.

- Well hello my dear. - she said, voice soft and warm like the chocolate in her cookies. - I baked you a fresh snack. Have some while it's still rich.

She grabbed the vintage plate and handed it to Kanaya, eager to have her try her new creation. Kanaya was never a big fan of sweets or anything that had a lot of sugar, but simply didn't have the heart to refuse old lady Jane, who baked with a large amount of passion and love. She took a piece and smiled, while biting into the soft pastry. Mrs. Jane was like the grandmother she never had. The old woman laughed seeing Kanaya's eyes widen in shock by the sudden taste. Ok, she didn't tolerate sugar, but those cookies were the most amazing things she's ever tasted. Mrs. Jane put her hands together proudly, as Kanaya helped herself to another cookie.

- I'm very happy you like them, sweetie. You are too thin in my opinion, so my cookies should put some meat on those bones.

- They are delicious. - said Kanaya and turned towards the stairs leading upstairs to the second level of the small library. - If you need anything I'm where I always am.

Once she went up the stairs, the first part of her routine was opening the windows. The second floor had less space and not a lot of light, so dust and cobwebs accumulated very quickly, along with their unpleasant smell. As often as she could, she helped Mrs. Jane clean up the library whenever she had free time on her hands. But after a while of doing it almost everyday it became a chore she did with pleasure. Once fresh air began circulating in the room, she went back to the front of the room and began scanning through each row to see what she wanted to start reading first. Most of the books in the library were very old, practically vintage, but every now and then she would find something more modern. Going up to the row with books from the 1980's she slipped a finger over the dark spine of one she randomly picked and carefully removed it from the tight space. The cover revealed itself to be a classic Sherlock Holmes novel; something she hasn't read just yet. She was surprised she didn't stumble upon it before when she was reading all of the masterpieces by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Satisfied with her choice, she walked over to a round, wooden table in the corner of the room, by the window and seated herself on and old, red couch, large enough to fit your whole body without falling off the edge. Looking over the table, on it was an old record player and a basket full of records of classic, jazz music; the type Kanaya enjoyed reading to the most. Turning on the machine, and placing the needle on the disk, it began slowly rotating and playing quiet music. Before settling into reading, she took one last look around the room, feeling content and happy. She took and a deep breath and exhaled softly enjoying the sounds coming from the record player. But her ear picked up another sound, that wasn't coming from the song. Thinking it was Mrs. Jane looking for a good read, she looked back to her book, ignoring the footsteps coming closer and closer.


End file.
